The first-ever staging of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship takes place in Budapest and the world's best athletes will be eyeing the lucrative cash prizes on offer.
Featuring Olympic champions from Paris 2024, those crowned world champions in Tokyo last year and this year's Diamond League winners, the inaugural event will see rivalries renewed and history made.
A total of 381 athletes from 65 federations competing across 28 disciplines, although a traditional medal will not be on offer for the winners.
Instead, the victors will receive a specially designed trophy and receive the title of "Ultimate Champion".
“We have made an intentional decision to move away from medals as the awards at the Ultimate Championship,” said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.
“This global championship is all about striving to be the one athlete who comes out on top. Distributing awards for the top three didn’t feel true to that foundational concept, so we are instead focused on the trophies given to the winners of each discipline.”
All competing athletes will receive a unique token to recognise their participation, but it's the remunerative aspect of the championships that will entice competitors.
How much prize money is on offer?
A record prize pot of $10 million is up for grabs for the athletes competing.
It's the most lucrative prize fund for a single championship in the history of the sport.
World Athletics Ultimate Championship prize money breakdown
Individual Events
Position | Prize |
1st | $150,000 |
2nd | $75,000 |
3rd | $40,000 |
Team Events
Position | Prize |
1st | $80,000 |
